Bengal U-25 team got eliminated from the Col. C.K Nayudu trophy after a hard-fought match against Punjab. Ankit Mishra (59/6) was incredible with the ball in the second inning and Habi Gandhi (72) was good at the top of the order for Bengal. But, with a first-inning lead, Punjab was always ahead in the match. Bengal pulled things off in the second innings. But, a middle-order collapse snatched the match away from Bengal. Subhomoy Das, Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee of Bengal was present at the Firoz Shah Kotla stadium to have a close look at the young players. He shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

"We leaked 50 extra runs in the first inning. And, the middle order collapsed after a great start by Habib Gandhi in the second half. We played well, but that was not good enough for an outright win. I must say, it was because of Ankit Mishra that we came back in the match. He was outstanding in the second inning with the ball," Subhomoy Das stated as he shared his thoughts on the Punjab match.

Read Also: "We have the fire in the belly to redeem the last final," newcomer Habib Gandhi wants to win Ranji Trophy with Bengal

According to him, Bengal cricket is lacking a supply chain of young talents. And, he thinks this is a worry for Bengal cricket. "After Devang (Gandhi) took over, it's now on the right track. But, the supply chain has been lacking in the U-19 sector for the last two to three years."

"Look when we used to play there was me, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Saurasish Lahiri, Ranadev Bose, Amitava Chakrabarty and many others of the same age who played for Bengal. So, there was a pull of young talents. I want the same thing with the Bengal Team now."

Although the tournament was for the Under-25 category, the former Bengal first-class player wants players from 18 to 21 to dominate cricket. "You are not young when you are 25. I want boys from 18-21 to dominate state-level cricket. That is why I think the supply chain is most important. The U25 team is like a Bengal A team. We need to have a pull of young talent to dominate state-level cricket," he added.

Read Also: Bengal Cricket: Nadia District Girls create history with a hat-trick of Inter-district trophies

"We are looking for match-winners in the team who can take the team home from any crunch situation. You just can't be a fitting player in the team to fill the squad. The young boys need to understand that. If we want to win Ranji Trophy and dominate first-class cricket, we will need more match winners. Just like Porel (Abishek) did in his first two matches in the Ranji Trophy."

"The problem is that you can not name any other 18-19 year old boys (except Abishek Porel) who are doing that for Bengal. We will need more young ex-factors like him to secure Bengal cricket's future. You need to understand that U-19 cricket is the supply line of state-level cricket," he added.

For the context, Abishek Porel had a superb Cooch Behar trophy. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament (708) before the tournament was paused due to covid. Then he was added to the extended U19 World Cup squad. He came back, and took Bengal out of the misery in his first two Ranji matches for Bengal along with Shahbaz Ahmed.

Read Also: "We always had the belief to win the match," says Abishek Porel who aims to take one step at a time

"Yes, the seniors are doing great. Shahbaz has been exceptional. Our bowling has been great as well. But we will need more young blood for the future of Bengal cricket."

"Players like Sudip Gharami. Kazi (Junaid Saifi), Habib (Gandhi), Ravi Kumar, Ankit Mishra, and Karan Lal have everything in them to make it big. But they will have to step up whenever there is a crunch moment. I want them to dominate Indian cricket," he added.

Subhomoy Das wants to have a bunch of young players who are ready for the first-class level. That is why he thinks the supply line of Bengal cricket is the most important thing. "We need to make the young boys mature early. That is where junior cricket comes into play. The supply is now on the right track. So, we will have lots of young talent, surely."

Read Also: Bengal Cricket: Arnab Nandi leads Hooghly Rivers to Inter-District One-Day Title

Bengal in the first phase of the Ranji Trophy had a mixture of young and experienced players in the squad. The selection committee is ready to let the young players settle into the team and learn from the experience of senior players.

"We are backing young players. We want them to settle into the team. Look at Sudip Gharami, he was given a full run in the first phase. All of them are very talented. They will have to learn quickly and grow as a player as quickly as possible."

Imagine what you're doing at the age of 13. You probably were going to a school or playing at a local sports academy. But can you imagine at 13 years old age you can become a crorepati in India playing professional cricket? Yes, you can if you are Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was picked by Rajasthan Royals at a whooping 1.10 crore rupees in the recently concluded IPL 2025 mega auction.

After the mega auction, Vaibhav was a household name in India. But, you will be shocked knowing that he has been playing cricket under BCCI since the age of eight and has already played at the first-class level. He has already featured in five first-class matches and played a T20 game for Bihar earlier this year.

Moreover, he became the youngest overall and fastest India centurion in Youth Test Cricket's history, when he slammed a 58-ball ton in an unofficial test against Australia at M.A Chidambaram earlier this year.

After his record-breaking inning, Sportz Point got to have a word with the young sensation during the Bengal vs Bihar Ranji Trophy match, which was called off due to rain and wet outfield. Vaibhav at that time had revealed that all of his aggression and quick scoring come naturally to him and he is a great fan of Brian Lara. As a left-handed batter, he loves to watch the former West Indian legend's old highlights and how he used to dominate bowlers during his era.

Read Also | IPL 2025 Auction: Top 10 Most Expensive players of the auction

Vaibhav has been getting support from his family, friends and coaches from an early age to get where he is currently. Bihar's head coach Ashok Kumar is one of those coaches who has helped the teenager to be able to come this far now. After his record-breaking IPL deal with Rajasthan Royals, Sportz Point got to know more about Vaibhav via Ashok Kumar.

A few players like Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who are actually from Bihar, had to move to Kolkata for better opportunities in cricket. Due to the lack of infrastructure and exposure, many players from the state have gone unnoticed in recent decades. But, this was not the case for a sensational talent like Vaibhav and for that, Ashok Kumar wants to thank the Bihar Cricket Association for giving this "once in a generation" talent a chance so early.

"Congrats to Vaihav. He is a great talent we all know. I have been watching him since he got the chance in the Bihar U-19 team. Watching this kid grow as a player, has been remarkable for me and everyone in Bihar," Ashok Kumar told Sportz Point.

"But, I want to thank and congratulate everyone associated with Bihar Cricket Association for identifying this talent and giving him a chance so early in his career," he added.

Vaibhav from his early days had the skill and temperament to dominate senior bowlers and score big runs. He burst onto the scene with an unbeaten 332 in a U-19 tournament in Bihar;  Randhir Verma Tournament. Ashok Kumar wants Vaibhav to continue with the intent which has helped him so far.

"I have been fortunate to coach the Bihar U-19 and senior team and have seen him up and close in the last few years. I know, with time, many teams will try to watch out for a weakness in his batting. But, the only thing that I always advise him is to keep the intent he has as a batter. He is not afraid of any bowler and his natural ability to hit bowlers will take him very far in his career," Ashok Kumar expressed.

Vaibhav's father Sanjeev Suryavanshi has been his formal coach. He also consults Wasim Jaffer from time to time for advice, whom he had met during a U-19 tournament in Bangladesh in November 2023. Luckily for the youngster, he will now be coached by former Indian Men's team head coach Rahul Dravid, who has developed many U-19 stars into future Indian players during his time with the U-19 and senior team.

Read Also | Exclusive: Inspired by Easwaran's work ethic, a more mature Abishek Porel wants to score big hundreds for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Also, Rahul Dravid and Rajasthan Royals were the franchise that gave young Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag an early chance in the Indian Premier League to showcase their talent. Ashok Kumar feels, that having Rahul Dravid as his coach will only enhance him as an overall player and a human being.

"With Rahul Dravid sir, we all know Vaibhav will learn a lot of great things about his game and I feel his time at the Rajasthan Royals will help him be more disciplined as well. Rajasthan Royals have helped a lot of young players in the past and I am hopeful Vaibhav will also emerge as one of the stars from the franchise," Ashok Kumar stated.

"Vaibhav's presence in the Indian Premier League and the U-19 team will influence many kids in the state to play cricket. They will now believe that if you have the talent and work hard on it, anyone can play at the highest level even from states like Bihar. I feel, a brighter time coming for Bihar State Cricket, via champion players like Vaibhav." 

Tilak Varma has etched himself in history to become the first Indian batter to hit 150 runs in T20 cricket. The 22-year-old youngster has smashed a staggering 151 off just 67 balls for his domestic side Hyderabad against Meghalaya on Saturday in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. 

The left-handed batter has surpassed Shreyas Iyer's record of scoring 147 which was by far the highest individual score by any Indian batsman in T20 cricket. Shreyas scored his 147 off just 55 balls for Mumbai against Sikkim in the same tournament in 2019. 

Tilak Varma has now clinched the top spot and also becomes only the 12th batter to record a 150+ score in T20s. 

The 22-year-old is the captain of his domestic side Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and he came out to bat in no. 3. Tilak's half-century came off 28 balls, and he went on to complete his ton off just 51 balls. Tilak built his scorching innings with 14 fours and 10 sixes and maintained a strike rate of 225.37. 

Another record 

However, Tilak Varma has made an international T20 record as well, as he becomes the first-ever batter in the world to score three consecutive tons. The left-handed youngster was named as the Player of The Series in India's recent T20 series victory against South Africa. Tilak scored back-to-back hundreds against South Africa and now in 10 days, he has scored three tons and stormed into the history books.

🚨 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙩 🚨

Tilak Varma 🤝 Record-breaking Feat! 🔝 🙌

Congratulations! 👏 👏#TeamIndia | #SMAT pic.twitter.com/4BnLFZzRRf

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 23, 2024

Highest individual score by Indian batters in T20s

• Tilak Varma (Hyderabad) – 151 (67) vs Meghalaya, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024
• Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai) – 147 (55) vs Sikkim, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 
• Punit Bisht (Meghalaya) – 146* (51) vs Mizroam, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021
• Mohammed Azharuddeen (Kerala) – 137* (54) vs Mumbai, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 
• Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai) – 134 (61) vs Assam, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been named in the Bengal squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Shami, who played his first match in 360 days in the Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh, will boost Bengal's chances in the tournament.

Sudip Kumar Gharami, who was Bengal's captain in the white-ball format last season, has been named as the captain of the squad for this season as well. 

In the 20-men squad, Bengal has named three wicket-keepers for the tournament. Abishek Porel, who recently toured Australia for the India-A team, will continue as the main man behind the stumps. Meantime, Shakir Habib Gandhi and Agniv Pan will be the other keeper-batters of the team. Interestingly, all three wicket-keepers of the squad are left-handed batters, giving coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla a few options to play with in the batting order.

Read Also | Exclusive | "Felt like my debut:" Bengal pacer Ishan Porel now wants to enjoy his cricket after a solid comeback to first-class cricket

Sudip Chatterjee, who came back from Tripura to rejoin his home state, will continue as one of the top-order batters for Bengal. The left-handed batter has done well in the Ranji Trophy this season and will be a key player for Bengal in the white-ball format as well. Ranjot Singh Khaira and Sudip Gharami will be the top-order batters for them this time.

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Ritwick Roy Chowdhury, one of the best white-ball finishers for Bengal, along with all-rounders Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Writtick Chatterjee and Saksham Chaudhary will be key clog for Laxmi Ratan Shukla and team management. Ritwick and Shaksham will be the pace bowling all-rounders of the team, while Karan, Writtick and Shahbaz will be the spinner all-rounders.

In the absence of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep, Ishan Porel, Mohammed Kaif, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Sayan Ghosh and Kanishk Seth will share the load of bowling those crucial overs along with new names like Soummyadip Mandal. The inclusion of U-23 captain Prayas Ray Barman means there will be enough variations while defending totals as well.

Bengal is placed in Group A alongside Punjab, Hyderabad, Mizoram, MP, Meghalaya, Bihar, and Rajasthan. 

Read Also |  IPL 2025 Auction: Full list of players and details

Bengal squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

Sudip Kr Gharami (captain), Mohammad Shami, Abishek Porel (WK), Sudip Chatterjee, Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwick Roy Chowdhury, Shakir Habib Gandhi (WK), Ranjot Singh Khaira, Prayas Ray Barman, Agniv Pan (WK), Pradipta Pramanik, Saksham Chaudhary, Ishan Porel, Md Kaif, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Sayan Ghosh, Kanishk Seth, Soummyadip Mandal.

Bengal's schedule in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

• 23 November' 24 - Bengal vs Punjab - Rajkot - 4.30 pm
• 25 November 2024 - Bengal vs Hyderabad - Rajkot - 4.30 pm
• 27 November 2024 - Bengal vs Mizoram - Saurashtra - 9 am  
• 29 November 2024 - Bengal vs Madhya Pradesh - Saurashtra - 1.30 pm
• 1 December 2024 - Bengal vs Meghalaya - Rajkot - 11 am
• 3 December 2024 - Bengal vs Bihar - Saurashtra - 9 am 
• 5 December 2024 - Bengal vs Rajasthan - Rajkot - 11 am

Bengal defeated Himachal Pradesh by 21 runs in the second semi-finals of the Senior Women's T20 Trophy 2024 on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Bengal all-rounder Mita Paul was adjudged player of the match for her 1 wicket and 29 runs with the bat.

Batting first, Bengal struggled early, losing Dhara Gujjar on duck in the first over. But, Richa Ghosh, the Indian wicket-keeper batter promoted as the opener, made sure she built a partnership with vice-captain Tanushree Sarkar for the second wicket.

Richa departed after adding 31 from 28 balls but Tanushree battled in the middle to build another partnership for Bengal, this time with Mita Paul. Tanushree, who made her return to the Bengal team after representing Railways last few years, perished after scoring a run-a-ball 36.

Read Also | Women's Cricket Exclusive: Mita Paul wants to take her game to a new level with a more attacking game plan

Mita Paul tried to take the inning deep but lost her wicket after scoring 30-ball 29. But, it was youngster Sasthi Mondal, whose 11 from 5 balls gave Bengal the finish they were looking for. Bengal finished their first inning on 134/6, giving Himachal a tough task to chase down the total under the lights at Wankhede. 

With a batting lineup consisting of international players like captain Sushma Verma and Harleen Deol, Himachal looked like the team which can chase down Bengal's total. However, Titas Sadhu struck early for Bengal as she removed Sushma Verma in the fourth over. Off-spinner Sushmita Ganguly then clean bowled Nikita Chauhan, to hand Bengal the momentum. 

Read Also | "Accuracy, planning and mental strength - Shiv Sagar Singh's mantra to make Bengal women's best in the country" | Senior Women's T20 Trophy

Though Himachal were trying to build a partnership and take the game deep, Bengal captain Saika Ishaque dismissed Sonal Thakur and Monika Devi in the same over to give Bengal the advantage. Despite a valiant effort from S M Singh (32 from 22 balls), Himachal fell short of the total by 21 runs. Saika Ishaque and Titas Sadhu took two wickets each for Bengal.

In the other semi-final, Mumbai defeated Uttarakhand by 31 runs to enter the final. Bengal and Mumbai will face each other in the final on 12th November at Wankhede Stadium from 4.30 pm IST.

"Whenever in doubt, remember why you started," this is a motivational quote that athletes often use whenever they face some unwanted trouble in their career. Ishan Porel, once touted as the "one of the best in domestic cricket" by none other than Rahul Dravid, had somehow lost his way after a stunning start to his career.

An injury during the Bengal Pro T20 League 2024, had ruled to him out of the first two games of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season. In fact, he was not even in the preminilinary Bengal squad for the season as well. 

But, he is BACK! With a stunning 6 wicket spell against Kerala in Ranji Trophy 2024-25, the tall pacer has announced his his return to first-class cricket. Ishan was nearly out of the game for four months and this tough period has made him rethink why he started playing this game. 

Just like any other kid around his place, Ishan used to play cricket because it was fun for him. It brought him happiness and joy. Many years later, after sustaining a few injuries and rough patch, the 26 year-old Bengal pacer wants to play cricket to have fun and enjoy every bit of it; the success, long spells, appeals, outs and denied decisions. 

After his return to first-class cricket, Sportz Point tried to get into his head and soul via an exclusive interview with the pacer. 

Q: First of all, congratulations on the Player of the Match performance against Kerala in your comeback match. You played after a long time. Did anything feel different?

Ishan: "It felt like a debut. A different feeling altogether. Getting out of the squad, due to injuries or any other thing, was something new for me. But, this has helped me to have a different perspective on the game. Ups and downs are just part and parcel of life. Now I feel there are lots of other things other than cricket.

Now, I am playing cricket to enjoy the game that I love, like I used to do as a kid. Even in this game, just like my debut, I wanted to enjoy the game and have fun. I feel this is the way to go for me now."

Q: For any athlete, this period of uncertainty, rehab, and staying away from the game is very tough. Who were the people who kept you going during this period?

Ishan: "During the Bengal Pro T20 League, I got injured. It was first a plantar fasciitis. But then I got injured in the ankle. You can never tell when you will get injured. Sports science does not work like that. Truly speaking, psychologically I was very down during this time. I did not know what to do.

My parents were there with me like always. Bibhas (Das) sir was there as well. From everyone in the Bengal team, including trainers, doctors, Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da, all motivated and took care of me so that I could make this comeback."

Read Also | Exclusive: Inspired by Easwaran's work ethic, a more mature Abishek Porel wants to score big hundreds for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Q: Generally, we see some changes in the bowling action or in general whenever a bowler comes back from an injury. Is there anything that you changed in your bowling action after the injury?

Ishan: "No, I did not have to make any changes to my bowling action. But, I know that in the longer process, I will have to keep doing certain exercises so that I give myself the full chance of not getting injured anymore. I had bowled a lot before playing this match. Nearly about 100-120 overs.

"I was bowling at my full rhythm nearly from the last 30-35 days. Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da even made me bowl 8-9 over spells in the practice. So, the body never felt anything new. Mentally, I just wanted to enjoy cricket and not put any pressure on myself."

Q: Many of the players who were with you during your U19 days have somehow gone ahead in the competition now. Does that somehow make you feel sad or bother you, knowing that you have fallen behind a bit?

Ishan: "No, it does not bother me at all. Everyone has their own perspective on life. Everyone has their own journey. Yes, everyone has one dream of playing for India. I know that if I do all the things correctly and follow the process, I will reach where I was and surpass that as well. So, I just try to win matches for my team and keep the intensity high while bowling."

Q: Bengal has two important away games against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh before we move to the white-ball format. How are you looking at those away games?

Ishan: "Every Ranji Trophy game is important. Even when we played the final last time, we were not in a great state after a few games, and then we came back with some wins. So, you have to take every game as the most important one. We have the squad to beat anyone."

Q: Last time when Bengal faced Karnataka at Eden Gardens in the 2020 semi-final, you took 5 wickets in the first innings and had bamboozled the batting order. Will that success go through your mind when you face them this season?

Ishan: "Four years is a long time. The past is past. Yes, when you do well against an opposition, it makes you feel good. But, every match is a new beginning for every cricketer. At this moment, I just want to enjoy my game and give my all for my team."

Bengal's next two Ranji Trophy matches

• 6-9 November, 2024 | vs Karantaka, in Bengaluru
• 13-16 November, 2024 | vs MP, in Indore